At the start of every year, the impending Super Bowl has two sets of people on their toes. First, the fans of the sport. And second, the creatives in the advertising agencies who are lucky enough to create multi-million dollar Super Bowl ads. In fact, most of these agencies will have started work on these spots many months before they air, as they are often so elaborate. But what does a good Super Bowl spot have, and what is a bad Super Bowl spot lacking? Here's some advice for agencies creating the work, and clients ready to buy it.
Money Is Not an Idea
It's sad that agencies throw so much money at these ads, just because their client has given them license to do so. Every year, cars drive through elaborate explosions, and special effects jump off the screen. But no amount of money can hide a bad or vanilla idea. What's more, Super Bowl audiences are more astute than ever due to a bombardment of advertising messages (see Changing Beliefs vs Changing Behaviors). So, when thinking of a concept, make sure it first has depth and resonates with the product or service before "gilding the lily."
Humor Works Well
Very well, in fact. When most people look back on Super Bowl spots of the past, they overwhelmingly remember the amusing ones. Just try it yourself, and think of your favorite spots. Here are some memorable ones from the last decade:
Terry Tate - Office Linebacker (Reebok)
Of course, the biggest spots in history are not always funny. The Apple 1984 spot, probably the most recalled and impactful Super Bowl spot ever made, was not even remotely humorous. But it's very rare an ad comes close to that. What's more, humor can have a big impact without spending big money. You don't need a ton of dough to impress people with humor.
Don't Be Completely Crass, Sexual or Pointlessly Shocking
There is no denying it, sex sells. It's an easy sell though, and unless it has something to do with what you're selling, it won't be memorable or have longevity. The Super Bowl ads have a captive audience, and it's perhaps the only time of the year that people don't skip through the ad breaks to go to the bathroom or grab a beer. It's also a family audience though, and it can be a big mistake to go overboard (remember the wardrobe malfunction by Janet Jackson?).
What's more, what does it say about your brand? If you're selling beer, you're probably ok. In fact, anything aimed at "guys" in that way will be ok. But what if your product has absolutely nothing to do with laddish behavior?
An example of this is Go Daddy (godaddy.com). Their Super Bowl ads are sexually provocative in the extreme, and have absolutely nothing to do with the product/service they provide. Every year, they parade scantily clad models onto the TV screen in the hopes of being talked about at the water cooler, and they usually have "see the stuff we couldn't show on TV" links online. Which is a blatant attempt to boost web traffic. Does it work? Yes, to a point. But is it helping Go Daddy become a trusted name in domain name registration? Are people taking them seriously? That's another matter.
Along with overt sexuality, it's also dangerous to go down the "Jackass" road. Be wary of very shocking, disturbing or crude ads that get attention (how could they not?) but do nothing to build the brand. In short, be true to your brand. Don't act like a drunken lout on the day of the Super Bowl just to get people staring at you; they'll be staring for all the wrong reasons.
Don't Insult the Intelligence of Your "Captive" Audience
A big problem with most Super Bowl ads you'll see is massively underestimating the intelligence of the audience. "People LOVE Super Bowl ads, let's give them crashes, bangs, jokes, all of that stuff, and throw a logo at the end of the spot."
This whole idea that it's better to be seen than forgotten is fine, to a point. As Dave Trott has said, being remembered but disliked is better than no one remembering you at all. The most important part of any ad campaign is to get the campaign seen. Yes, agreed. But also remember, your ad WILL be seen during Super Bowl Sunday. It's a given. You have a captive audience, for the most part. So how are you going to reward them? You should really want to entertain, but also be relevant and smart. Stay true to your product or service and go from there. After that, the sky's the limit.
Don't Run an Ad You've Ran Before
I've never understood this one. Spending a few million dollars for thirty seconds is a big investment, so why trot out something from the old ad inventory? Is it because you've spent all the money on the media buy? Possibly. But it could also be a case of chickening-out at the last minute, or not having a strong enough idea to warrant a Super Bowl spot. Sadly, these are poor excuses. Buying a Super Bowl spot is your way of saying that you're ready to play in the big leagues. If you can't produce an original, relevant, memorable, above the line spot that has never been aired before, you may as well go home. This is your brand's chance to shine. Don't give people leftovers.
